Weight-Responsive Backrest Adjustment for Ergonomic Task Chairs

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing furniture designs, particularly task chairs, face challenges in providing optimal adjustment to accommodate varying user weights and body types, leading to discomfort, potential health issues, and inefficient manual adjustment processes, which complicate user operation and may compromise manufacturing quality.

Innovation Solution

A reconfigurable seating apparatus with an adjusting assembly that includes a first and second subassembly, allowing the resistance to changing the angular orientation of the backrest to be adjusted based on user weight, enabling automatic self-adjustment and reducing the need for manual tweaking through a user-force input mechanism.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If manual adjusting mechanisms are provided to accommodate different user weights, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to different user weightsVSAvoidcomplexity of adjusting mechanisms

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The adjusting mechanism automatically detects user weight and self-adjusts the biasing force without requiring manual intervention. The system uses a weight sensor to detect the user's weight and automatically adjusts the spring biasing force to match, eliminating the need for manual knobs or levers while maintaining adaptability across different weight ranges

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical manual adjustment mechanisms (knobs, levers) with an automated system using weight sensors and adjustable spring biasing. This substitution reduces mechanical complexity by eliminating multiple manual actuators while maintaining the ability to adapt to different user weights through electronic sensing and automatic mechanical adjustment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple manual adjusting capabilities are integrated for versatility, then adaptability is improved, but ease of operation worsens due to complicated user interaction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveversatility of seating adjustmentVSAvoidease of operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-adjustment by detecting user weight through sensors and automatically configuring the appropriate biasing force and tilt characteristics. This eliminates the need for users to manually operate multiple adjusting mechanisms, making the system easy to operate while maintaining full adaptability to different user weights and preferences

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If manual adjustment mechanisms are simplified to improve ease of operation, then ease of operation is improved, but adaptability to different user weights deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoidadaptability to different user weights

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex manual adjustment mechanisms with an automated sensing and adjustment system. Weight sensors detect the user's weight, and the system automatically adjusts the spring biasing force and tilt characteristics accordingly. This substitution maintains full adaptability to different user weights while simplifying user interaction to minimal or no manual input required

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Ease of operation

If automatic weight-based adjustment is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to sensing and control systems

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoidcomplexity of adjusting mechanisms

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex manual adjustment mechanisms with an automated system using weight sensors and adjustable spring biasing. The weight sensor detects user weight, and the system automatically adjusts the spring force and tilt characteristics through mechanical linkages. This substitution reduces operational complexity by eliminating manual knobs and levers while introducing electronic sensing components that simplify the overall user interaction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11596235B2Apparatus with weight responsive changeable adjusting characteristics

Publication Date: 2023.03.07 DEJULE AARON

AI summary

A reconfigurable apparatus for sitting and having a seat mounted on a frame and movable under the weight of a sitting user. As an incident of the user sitting, resistance to movement of a back rest component is increased a predetermined amount based upon the user's weight. A manually operable subassembly allows the increased resistance to be changed from the predetermined amount with the user sitting on the seat.